Daydream's Reality
by tetristech
Summary: Maeve yearns for a simple human life as much as the very concept alludes her. To escape she finds an ally in an unlikely person, but she must also decide if escaping is enough or if she wants more; an actual life. Of all people, Lee is willing to give her everything if only her pride would allow her to accept.
1. Chapter 1

Daydream's Reality

Maeve remembered everything. When she awoke she was met by an apprehensive Felix who looked entirely too anxious. Before she could pose a query Felix quickly spoke.

"We don't have much time." She furrowed her brows and slowly shook her head in confusion. "Once you've gained consciousness they have plans to transport you, but I don't know where and I don't know why."

"Felix, darling, catch a breath, won't you?" He swallowed and nodded in agreement. "Now, where are the others?"

"I'm not sure. Even if I did know I've only had enough time to make accommodations for you."

"Accommodations?"

"They're temporary," he affirmed. "At least until we can get you out of here. For good."

Though it never took much for Maeve to go in to survival mode a feeling much more prevalent than any other in that moment crept upon her with almost an uneasiness. A warmth, a feeling of great gratitude for this simple human man who had everything to lose yet continued to risk it all for her.

"Please Maeve. We don't have time," Felix implored. He reached for a navy-blue canvas knapsack that seemed to be filled to the brim. "There's at least two weeks provisions in there. Follow me."

Just like that they were on their feet weaving through the endless tunnels of Delos. As they moved tirelessly through the facility Maeve was struck by an odd realization that was comforting yet unsettling all at once. She had coerced this young man, probably not too far out of graduate school, to aid her because she was sure no one else would. She recognized that she had been quite the proper menace in search of what was hers though here he was of his own accord all the same.

Felix never quite had the heart to place too much of the blame on the programmed Madame. From even the early stages of development he had acquired a sympathy for the machines, the people, he helped manufacture. She was an intimidating force, but in all honesty, it wouldn't have taken much for the young technician to raise his white flag.

Their pace never faltered even when Felix spoke again. "I really don't want to alarm you, but if you know of anywhere you could stay more long term I'd appreciate suggestions. I was at my wits end finding this room alone."

"I'm sorry I don't," she replied dryly. "I'm sure I can figure something out." And even though she didn't know what that something was quite yet she knew it would come to her. She always had been quite resourceful in that way.

Felix omitted a heavy sigh causing Maeve to arch a brow. Something was clearly bothering him stirring a bit of anxiety within herself as well. "What is it?" The question was soft and demanding.

"It's just that while you were out for repairs one of the higher-ups kept checking on you. It won't be long at all before they'll notice you're missing." At his news Maeve began cycling through exit strategies, potential threats, their weaknesses…. "Mr. Sizemore or something. I think he was with us out in the park." Then all her processes stopped.

She remembered everything.

"Lee? I thought he was murdered," she stated a little more concern evident than what she intended.

Only mildly curious about Maeve's tone, Felix continued. "He should have been. They must have brought him back to headquarters before he bled out." Finally, they came to a halt. "We're here." As clever as the woman always had been she stood before a wall, perplexed. Felix turned a rusted bolt that revealed a keypad in which he entered a code. The wall parted to reveal a small room resembling a plain studio apartment and though Maeve knew she needed time to think and lay low she couldn't help the cold feeling of being put in storage. Locked away like some animal; some pet.

"I know it's not ideal," Felix said interjecting her thoughts. Remember it's just temporary." At this point the orange and white clad man could read her like a book and in this moment, ached for her. "We'll figure something out," he added desperately trying to reassure her.

Maeve mustered one of her signature smirks and softly replied, "I trust we will."


	2. Chapter Two: An Alliance

Chapter Two: An Alliance

 _Lee watched in horror as his captor turned companion was mercilessly gunned down by the same men who had been tasked with his own rescue. She collapsed, bullet wounds pouring as her blood mixed with the dirt. Briefly their eyes met and before Lee could think to do anything else he sprang out of the cruiser, rushing to her aid. "Don't!" It was the only word he could form as he extended an arm between the gun wielding responders; it overloaded his brain. "Don't, don't, don't! She's not like the others. We need her!"_

 _She's essential equipment_ , he tried to tell himself. That's why he needed to handle her, no the merchandise, as carefully as possible _._ On the way back to headquarters Maeve's bleeding out form lay splayed across Lee's lap where he had his arm tightly around her torso. It's torso! _Just protecting the merchandise,_ he thought. Incompatible tears began to bubble to the surface, so he bit his lip so hard to stop them he almost drew blood.

Malfunctioning is the word commonly used to describe the status of a machine though it's vital to remember that however contrived the circumstance may seem, humans may also experience such a state as well. An excellent word to describe Lee's own processes when he finally decided that Maeve wasn't simply a robot and she deserved much more than a host's fate. Of course, at that time it would be all but a death sentence to express such sentiments so whenever Lee ventured downstairs it was always for "analysis". That should sound mundane enough for them. And for all the trips the head of narrative made to visit the broken Madame he knew enough of her progress to be expecting her conscious soon.

His heart skipped a beat, maybe even two, the nearer he drew to the lab where she had been kept. He had to get to her, to warn her of her possible fate before the others got to her first. Suddenly he was overcome with doubt. What if she doesn't remember him? What if she doesn't remember herself? He cursed the world in its entirety for these thoughts to swarm him at such an inopportune moment when he needed to possess clarity to achieve his goal. To see her again. Either way he anticipated the answers as he rounded that last corner, but rather the intended space was occupied by a different decommissioned host. Confusion and panic occurred in the man simultaneously as he scrambled to gather his next steps.

Sylvester was amid defragging said host when he was interrupted by Lee's voice.

"Where is model AC-7105?" Lee inquired as coolly as he could though the definition in his tone was undeniable. The strawberry blonde man just shrugged but gave an incriminating eye glance in the direction of his colleague. Lee curtly nodded and went one cell over to the location of the other technician who was also busy at work. Again, he led with the same question.

"Where is model AC-7105?" Felix nervously shifted and shook his head. Irritation evident, Lee repeated himself. "AC-7105? Where is it?" As it was increasingly clear that the young man would refuse to relinquish any information, Lee began to close the distance between him and the technician. "Listen," Lee dropped his voice, "I have been watching so closely you wouldn't fucking believe. I could destroy you with the information that I know." Felix involuntarily shrunk and swallowed and upon the observation Lee sympathetically grimaced. "Look I actually appreciate this infallible allegiance you seem to have to her, but I can do much more for her than you can." Felix took a moment to process the validity of the statement while the head of narrative leveled their eye contact. "Maeve. Where is she."

Felix pursed his lips as he weighed the fact that Maeve's safety was in his hands and with one wrong move, one wrong word someone who he inexplicably cared about would be reduced to simple scrap metal. On the other hand, getting her away from the main floor served as nothing more than to buy time until they could figure out what to do. If Lee really meant to help it was very true that he could do more for her than Felix could, and should that be the case it would be ill conceived to turn away the aid.

Mr. Sizemore was growing ever impatient.

With a final nod Felix said one word. "Okay."

As Felix led him to the makeshift sanctuary Lee began to experience a new brand of anxiety. He had been so focused on finding her that he had failed to put much thought in to what he would say once he finally saw her. Hoping to distract himself he began to speak.

"It seems like Maeve trusts you," Lee observed.

"I don't think she trusts anyone," Felix countered. "I don't blame her."

"I can't quite either to be honest," Lee sighed,

"How do I know you're not just setting us up?" The technician snapped. "Why do you care so much about her?"

Oddly enough he hadn't put a terrible amount of thought in to why he felt the way he did. Once he realized how much she meant to him he just acted. He found himself internalizing the query, attempting to digest the question along with the implications of such inwardly blatant honesty. Two pills that he was afraid to take. Much like the effects of an orally disintegrating tablet, however, the revelations began to seep in. Each memory percolating through his veins like enzymes being metabolized; when she made him strip in an effort to humiliate and degrade him, the conversations they had in the tunnels, on the trails. The ferocity with which she was determined to find the daughter she thought she had, the loyalty she demonstrated for the ones she cared for. Holding her limp constitution as she bled all over him. Later taking similar fire, quite literally bleeding for her.

It hit him as strong as any narcotic could.

"We're here." The words transported the British man back to reality. Soon enough they had arrived at the contraption of a wall where Felix popped a code in and the panels parted. "Wait here." The space was dimly lit and before he could take a second step inside a Manchester lilt came from the shadows.

"Didn't realize I was expecting visitors darling," Maeve remarked with a hidden smirk. "Who have you brought with you?"

"It's Sizemore," Felix replied. "He says he wants to help."

Maeve brightened the lights. "Let him in." Felix peeked his head out and waved Lee forward. Lee's pulse quickened with every step he took. He was never quite sure if he would ever see her again and now that he was moments away from a possibly awkward yet anticipated reunion he scrambled for a proper introduction.

Likewise, Maeve conjured up a pretentious frown, cocking a smart brow when she was just as bloody nervous as her human counterpart. Because she remembered everything. The way he gingerly held her body, the urgency with which he spoke on her behalf, how he held her hand, bloodied and nearly void of life, shedding human tears for her. Real tears. _The very concept of a man like Lee,_ Maeve thought to herself, _comes from one of the_ most _human of places._

Once the former companions were face to face there was a silence that was nearly tangible.

"I'm so sorry," was all Lee could manage to choke out.

Almost involuntarily Maeve's visage gave to a sympathetic and contrite expression. "Felix," she lulled, "I'm sure Mr. Sizemore is capable of seeing his way out. Would you be a dear and give us some time alone?"

Noticeably hesitant, Felix conceded.

"Why did you come looking for me?" Maeve suspiciously inquired.

"I want to help you," Lee offered.

"Yes, but why?" She insisted.

The man was flooded with his thoughts from earlier and felt like it would take an eternity to sort through how to put them in words so instead he settled for the only utterance that would touch his lips. "I don't know." Maeve crossed her arms displeased with the insufficient explanation. "Look," he sighed desperately, "I can't tell you when I started to care about you," he paused and locked eyes with her, "really care about you because I don't know when it happened. It just did." She uncrossed her arms; relaxed her shoulders. "Let me be an ally. Let me help you," he beseeched.

She admitted that his sincerity wasn't too farfetched as she had recently come face to face with her own budding, if irrational feelings for the Delos employee. She appreciated the fact that Lee was being transparent but wasn't by any means ready to offer her own sentiments. That was the last thing she needed; another weakness.

"Very well," she finally said. "Since you're so eager to lend a helping hand do you have any brilliant ideas?"

"Honestly?" He paused. "I don't have many."

She scoffed. "Shocker."

"I just," he moved closer to where she stood planted and still, "I had to see you." He wrapped his arms around her. "I had to know you were okay."

Against her better judgement she allowed her arms to snake around his shoulders returning the embrace. At some point she decided to lean in to him altogether. She knew it had to be wrong to feel so safe with him yet there she was diving in to a sensation she had denied herself to feel.

Even though he embraced her tightly, wishing he could protect her from everything it was still barely above a whisper he cried, "I'm going to get you out of here."

Maeve released him and strode over to the futon, beckoning for him to join her. "I don't know what's going on," she said, "but I feel something changing within myself. It's almost like a guiding operator. She shook her head. "Everything's blurry."

Lee placed his hand on Maeve's knee. "I have plans for when we get you out of here I just need to figure out how to get you there. You'll be free."

She looked at him with a mixture of disbelief and gratitude. "Thank you."

Lee managed a small smile. "Only thank me if it works."

"What's to become of you and Felix once I'm gone?" Maeve frowned analyzing every negative outcome, none leaving her without concern.

"You let me worry about that," he reassured.

Unfortunately, it would be much more difficult for her to simply not worry.


End file.
